MEXICO CITY — Mexican tomato growers have made what they say is an unprecedented proposal to the U.S. Commerce Department to salvage a 16-year-old pricing agreement for exports to the United States.

The proposal would extend the current accord to cover 100 percent of Mexican tomatoes instead of the current 85 percent, Martin Ley, a representative for the growers from Mexico, said in an interview after meeting with Commerce Department officials Thursday in Washington. His group is also offering to add 18 percent to 25 percent to the floor price, depending on the type of tomato....

Those look like nice tomatoes, yes, they do indeed, but I refuse to look at them any further and imagine the taste of their delicious organic tomatoey goodness. Why? Nikon neglect, that's why. When the thing is sitting right there with a charged battery and fitted with a perfectly good lens.

I put glass fish on a bottle take that for segue.

It took awhile to figure out how to do that. I want it to look like fish are swimming around the bottle suspended in space.

My own fish really like weeds. They love living in the grasses. They find little hidey spaces and then later collect together in the open areas. So the bottle will have weeds too, growing up the side.

But I need the bottle positioned upside down so the fish swim under and around the bulge of the bottle, amongst weeds. The glass fish had to be positioned in mid air to epoxy them onto little copper arms extending from the neck like the spokes of a wagon wheel, the neck of the bottle the wheel axle. Once I figured out how to do that it all went fairly well. I have to wait between each little application so it goes, arrange the application, mix a spot of epoxy, apply, steady until cured, remove steadification, repeat repeat repeat repeat, so it takes a long time. I used a cardboard box. Cut it to be the right depth and hole for the bottle neck. I hope it's the right depth because I'm locked in now. The spokes can be bent to make the fish swirl or compress them together tighter around the neck. It's adjustable. Care to see?

Now the weeds are going on and I think it'll be done. And bubbles. I haven't decided, but I think the weeds will not be gathered at the top so that it's obvious the weeds are holding the bottle, rather, the weeds are attached to the bottle, and could support it, but wastefully do not. It could be much more economical and direct but for stylistic and artistic reasons they are not. And they're all poor, unsupportable choices too, seriously flawed in terms of production, and that's the thing that makes them so frivolous. If you see it finished I'm expecting you to think, "Shit, man, you just wasted all all that wire."

I've heard that if you bring green tomatoes in and wrap them separately in newspaper they last till Thanksgiving and taste good. This year I may try it because so many are left. By Thanksgiving they will be heirlooms of the summer, maybe.

Could we get everyone to commit to a position on the Electoral College and the popular vote before we know the outcome of the election?

Should Obama win the Electoral College but lose the popular vote, by whatever margin, I fully expect John Stewart will have a near limitless supply of footage of partisans saying the opposite of what they said back in 2000.

I don't like the fact that the E.C. math means that the race narrows down to a small handful of states, but I suspect that there are downsides that I can't perceive about a popular vote, so I'm inclined to keep things the way they are.

It was almost painful to watch CBS and NBC contort themselves to spin it in this evening's newscasts!

I watched the CBS one..

They strained to put the best face to a series of events where had Obama chosen at any time to say what he knew would probably been the end of it...

Except for what appears to be clear now... somebody turned down repeated requests for more security... The appearance of a cover up has reluctantly forced the spotlight to be turned on and the election is making it stay on.

Here's a new Obama ad with a Romney soundbite completely taken out of context re: GM:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgiuq2uR6LA&feature=

And here is the actual interview from which the Romney soundbite is taken:

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500202_162-20068606.html

Not at all a fair representation of what Romney said IMO, but I'm sure the Obama ad is a "fair" representation of Romney under the analysis Althouse used that the Obama "Romney will make abortion illegal" ad was "fair," -- or am I missing the reasoning?

I think Hillary! just "took responsibility" for removing the "Acme Security, Inc." that the State Dept. had in Libya earlier, but she still did not explain why that was done, nor why the embassy's subsequent protests and pleas for more security was ignored.

I call the Libyan mess our "Sergeant Schultz War," because it seem we just cannot get any straight stories about just what has happened there or just who were - or are - responsible for what - not even how it all got started back when, and who ordered that.

IngaI think almost all points of view have validity until proven not to have it. But, please give it a rest. You aren't persuading me, and, I suspect, nor anyone else. I for one am tired of the hype and spin. I'll bet the people at HufPo would love to hear your point of view.

Inga said...No evidence found of Al Qaeda role in Libya attack, apperas [sic] to be an opportunistic attack, not long planned operation. The attackers launched the assault after learning about the violence at Cairo embassy against anti Islam video, initial assessment appears to be correct.

CIA station chief in Libya reported within 24 hours that there was evidence US consulate attack was not carried out by a mob

The two US officials said the CIA station chief in Libya compiled intelligence reports from eyewitnesses within 24 hours of the assault on the consulate that indicated militants had launched the violence, using the pretext of demonstrations against US facilities in Egypt against the film to cover their intent. The report from the station chief was written late Wednesday 12 September and reached intelligence agencies in Washington the next day, intelligence officials said.

However, on Saturday of that week, briefing points sent by the CIA to Congress said "demonstrations in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests at the US embassy in Cairo and evolved into a direct assault".

The briefing points, obtained by the AP, added that "there are indications that extremists participated in the violent demonstrations" but did not mention eyewitness accounts that blamed militants alone.

Such raw intelligence reports by the CIA on the ground would normally be sent first to analysts at the headquarters in Langley, Virginia, for vetting and comparing against other intelligence derived from eavesdropping drones and satellite images. Only then would such intelligence generally be shared with the White House and later, Congress, a process that can take hours or days if the intelligence is coming only from one or two sources who may or may not be trusted.

US intelligence officials say in this case the delay was due in part to the time it took to analyze various conflicting accounts. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the incident publicly, explained that "it was clear a group of people gathered that evening" in Benghazi, but that the early question was "whether extremists took over a crowd or they were the crowd".

But that explanation has been met with concern in Congress.

"The early sense from the intelligence community differs from what we are hearing now," Democratic representative Adam Schiff said. "It ended up being pretty far afield, so we want to figure out why... though we don't want to deter the intelligence community from sharing their best first impressions" after such events in the future.

"The intelligence briefings we got a week to 10 days after were consistent with what the administration was saying," said William Thornberry, a Republican member of the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees. Thornberry would not confirm the existence of the early CIA report but voiced skepticism over how sure intelligence officials, including CIA director David Petraeus, seemed of their original account when they briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

"How could they be so certain immediately after such events, I just don't know," he said. "That raises suspicions that there was political motivation."

National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor declined comment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to requests for comment.

The information, provided to Fox News by a U.S. intelligence official, is subject to change but could end up providing fodder to both sides in what has become a politically charged fight in Washington and on the presidential campaign trail.

Did you even read the article from Fox, Tim? Also Tim, I'm not in disagreement with you that the lack of security was a major fuck up, responsibility on Obama administration. No dodge from me, I want the truth, same as you.

What the Obama administration did, and what Obama himself did in the wake of the events is the issue for me here. The response was to hide, obfuscate, sleep, party and refuse to take it seriously. Only the outrage of the American people forced them to even acknowledge it happened. Whatever happens now and whatever spin is created around the events will never change the disgusting response from Obama and his administration. He can't live it down and history will be hard on him. And it should be.

Defunding of PBS/NPR can start in the Romney Administration by pulling all of their press passes to the Executive Branch. But leave one pass available for Big Bird, since he's what PBS is really about anyway.

Yep, Lem, for a while after the convention I thought I'd vote for the devil I knew, but have decided to take Father Fox's lead and vote my conscience, which is not to vote for either devil. Doesn't mean I won't vote Democrat though, just not voting for Prez.

The only third party candidate who could have hurt Romney would have been a Palin Tea Party ticket. But Romney pretty skillfully defused that by picking Ryan for VP. Of course the kooky feminists and gays also fought Palin tooth and nail, ensuring that no effective 3rd party effort would surface to help their dream date.

"Romney drinks coffee in secret.that make your puerile comments so difficult to take seriously and at the same time so irritating and self-defeating.

I watch for your comments, because they validate my suspicion that liberals are usually not at all serious, but are stuck on stupid.

I think the things you say about your children indicate you're not as frivolous and frankly unlikeable as your own words make you seem. And, it's even a little sad that you apparently like being a source of irritation. But, ultimately you always invalidate your own good points if you ever manage to have them.

I'm waiting for you to tell me to do something to myself that's physically impossible, because that seems to be where you keep your deepest thoughts. It's OK, but you should be told how you come across, and realize that much of the negative reaction you get here is of your own making.

But, maybe you do know that and you do it on purpose. In any case I suspect I'm not the only one here who thinks you're irritating and even your obvious beauty doesn't override the unpleasantness.

Also, Wyo Sis, I never measure my self worth against what other people say about me, especially strangers who mean nothing to me personally. I generally like you and even Erika, but you two ladies really need to..... Relax. See I didn't say what you thought I was going to, you know, that thing that's where my "deepest thoughts" are.

My favorite female commenters here are Synova, Yashu and Exiledonmainstreet, they are strong, succinct, yet seem to have a sense of humor.

Obama may have had nothing specifically to do with it, or he may be the root cause, I don't know, but what is coming out about how those people at the embassy were basically abandoned and left to die by someone is looking pretty awful.

I agree Bagoh, in an attempt to have a presence in Libya, even after every other western nation left, there was a huge miscalculation of risk vs. reward. No reward was worth risking these people's lives.

bagoh20 said...Obama may have had nothing specifically to do with it, or he may be the root cause, I don't know, but what is coming out about how those people at the embassy were basically abandoned and left to die by someone is looking pretty awful.

Could someone have done this on purpose to make Obama look bad? Why doesn't he fight back?

I think that perhaps the Obama administration thought they would have an easy "victory" in Libya, with no military intervention besides the assistance they gave in bombing earlier in the war. IMO, they should've recalled the embassy staff, when the Brits did, or even before.

"I think that perhaps the Obama administration thought they would have an easy "victory" in Libya..."

You know that reminds me. Isn't Bill Clinton the luckiest S.O.B. that ever got his coffee first in the oval office. A Republican congress, two chance economic bubbles in a row, ends a war with air power alone, two terms despite being impeached and disbarred, and gets out just in time to miss 9/11. Except for one unwashed dress, he was teflon.

As a corollary (because averages always require outliers), I strongly suspect that bagoh20 is an exception. I'd bet a whole lot that he's worked his ass off, and no damn overestimating, much less cheating, about it.

This animated GIF cracks me up, and I mean CRACK, like this /\/\/^v/\^\v/> those are cracks, because the anim is so completely random, and because the guy is British and you don't expect a British guy to be thinking about John Wayne and because the bird is properly cooked.

bagoh20, pro contrario, con permiso, not worth seeing, I beg to differ there, all review, all exceedingly annoying review, gave me a headache. The portion I sat for was like the most dreary lecture, while simultaneously conversely on another channel with a lot of letters in it there was an excellent array of exerts assembled and they gave their tight professional knowledgeable facts devoid of opinion and conclusion, all three danced around the facts never mentioning the video, the guy in jail, the brownshirts arresting him at midnight for parole violation, attack on free speech or the concerted effort to propound a false narrative, SURPRISE! It's October entirely missing the central issue and so likewise utterly headachingly intolerable.

rcommal,I appreciate that, and yes, I've put in my time, but now to prevent disasters and general mayhem, I've been asked by the employees to put in no more than 12 minutes a day, preferably without talking to anyone, but since I give it 4000% effort, it's just like full time. I don't even take a break.

bagoh20, pro contrario, con permiso, not worth seeing, I beg to differ there, all review, all exceedingly annoying review, gave me a headache. The portion I sat for was like the most dreary lecture, while simultaneously conversely on another channel with a lot of letters in it there was an excellent array of exerts assembled and they gave their tight professional knowledgeable facts devoid of opinion and conclusion, all three danced around the facts never mentioning the video, the guy in jail, the brownshirts arresting him at midnight for parole violation, attack on free speech or the concerted effort to propound a false narrative, SURPRISE! It's October entirely missing the central issue and so likewise utterly headachingly intolerable.

"..., a United Way employee was on an RTA bus when a rider stood up and announced to fellow passengers that Obama was paying people's bills. The rider told people they could use the red numbers on the backs of their Social Security cards to tap into the government money."

There are endless versions of this running now for 4 years. I may have to vote for this very nice Obama man.

I know what you mean. When my husband got laid off quite a bit of a while back, we got to a decision point. What that decision required was forgoing [not to be confused with foregoing] various benefits for which he and we were eligible at the moment in time which is precisely *on* point, and the vast majority of which benefits we could still be receiving to this very day. Instead, we chose to go forth in a different direction, and we are surviving it.

We could stay in that country for a thousand years and the Afghans would still be howling barbarians. It's becoming increasingly apparent that there is no hope for them or the rest of their tribal co-religionists.

We could stay in that country for a thousand years and the Afghans would still be howling barbarians.

In the most tragic sense, this isn't true. If you look at photos taken in Afghanistan in the 1950's and 1960's you see a fairly prosperous country for the region and time, the people wearing western business attire and casual clothing, women interacting freely in society (including university life) wearing western clothes.

The true tragedy is that the Afghans nearly made it before returning to the Middle Ages.

I've just spent the night cruisin' all the various websites that struck my fancy, tryin' to get a read on the countries mood. And I come away with just one question...

Are all liberals as retarded as their representatives in the media? They can't be, can they? I mean it. Some of these people shouldn't be allowed sharp scissors. Restrict their eating utensils to spoons.

Like Whoopi Goldberg... I;ve seen her take some unpopular stances against the left before. But her defense of the way she treated Ann Romney was basically limited to "You shut up."

I saw instance after instance of people calling for riots, assassinations, and general mayhem, if Romney wins. I will grant that there are some nut jobs on the right who feel the same way about Zero, but I also see the Secret Service investigating a guy who hung an empty chair from a tree. The SS issued a statement that they were aware of the death threats against Romney, and they will investigate if there is ever a need. I guess need is an actual attempt? Or does it have to be a successful attempt?

Zero and his cadre of misanthropes has poisoned the well of American democracy. They should all be charged with treason. Too bad the Republicans are too chicken shit to actually fight for our country.

PS.

Zero and the Democrats have yet to produce a budget(as required by law). They have also stopped issuing reports for the last four quarters about Stimulus Projects and Expenditures(as required by law). And the DOJ has said they will not enforce certain laws of this country(as required by law).

How is it that so many people can flagrantly break the law, and not suffer any consequences?

More and more, we are reaching the point Jefferson warned about. "The tree of liberty is watered with the blood of tyrants" We have tyrants in DC as I type this.

Carniflex -- I agree with everything you've written. All I'd add is: People will say that both sides do it, that power corrupts whoever holds the office.

I don't think so.

When republicans are corrupt, the press calls them on it. By protecting their guy for the last four years, the press has created a situation where the body politic was defenseless and open to corruption on a massive scale. F&F, Solyndra, they're too numerous to mention.

This is easily the most corrupt administration in history. Who could even compare? US Grant? That's silly. Government was so much smaller then, even if POTUS had been a comic book arch villain, he couldn't have put his fingers in half the pies that this administration has.

One irony: anyone who actually believes that "fourth estate" stuff, that the press has a role as a quasi branch of government, serving as a check on the other three, should vote republican; because the only time the press ever acts that way is when a republican is in office. But I'm sure the vast majority vote D.

At that, thinking back on it, was there not some speculation in the press that "the Libyan war of liberation" was cooked up by Hillary!, Susan Rice, and Mary Robinson (former President of Eire and now someething at the U.N.)?

It soon died away, and maybe it was just that press could not find anyone else to pin it on, but then, here is Susan Rice again!

Poor stupid boring Inga just can't stop lying. She claims (9:06pm) that "every single one" of her own comments "gets numerous responses". That's not even mathematically possible: nearly 1/6 of the comments here (19/115 so far) are by her, including at least one (9:03pm) begging for someone to reply to something stupid she'd written. If they all had "numerous" replies, and if "numerous" has its usual meaning, rather than some special Inga meaning like "between 0 and 2", there wouldn't be room for comments by anyone else. It is obvious that there are still plenty of comments by others on this thread.

Surely Inga must know that if Althouse readers were ever asked to vote for the Most Useless Commenter on Althouse, with no multiple voting allowed, she would certainly be in the top 10, and would be a strong candidate for Number One, despite an abundance of strong competition. I mean, she can't possibly be so lacking in self-awareness as to not know that, can she?

And why was our ambassador to the U.N. be the one to go on TV about the attack on our consulate anyway?I could see the White House needing to answer, the State Dept., the NSA or CIA, even the Pentagon, but why the ambassador to the U.N.?